Best credit cards for excellent credit of July 2024
“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.
“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.
BLUEPRINT
Published 6:22 a.m. UTC June 11, 2024
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The best credit cards for excellent credit generally have high rewards rates and a slew of cardholder benefits. And if you have an exceptional score, you can likely take your pick of the bunch. We took a deep dive into the available options to choose the very best cards on the market. Here are our selections for the best credit cards for excellent credit of 2024.
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The Platinum Card® from American Express
Best credit cards for excellent credit
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card *: Best credit card for excellent credit.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best for luxury perks.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Best for basic travel.
- Chase Freedom Flex℠ *: Best for no annual fee.
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card *: Best for hotel stays.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best for flexible redemptions.
Why trust our credit card experts
Our team of experts evaluates hundreds of credit cards and analyzes thousands of data points to help you find the best card for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content. You can read more about our methodology below.
- 348 cards analyzed.
- 16+ data points analyzed.
- 5-step fact-checking process.
Best credit card for excellent credit
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
*The information for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Best for luxury perks
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Best for basic travel
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Best for no annual fee
Chase Freedom Flex®
*The information for the Chase Freedom Flex® has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Best for hotel stays
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
*The information for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Best for flexible redemptions
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Compare the best cards for excellent credit
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening,
Earn 140,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
The information for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Why it’s the best
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card * The information for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. balances benefits and fees to make it one of the best travel cards for people with excellent credit. Perks include an annual $300 credit when booking travel through Capital One Travel each year, plus 10,000 miles (worth $100 toward travel) every cardholder anniversary. These benefits can help mitigate the card’s sizeable annual fee.
Pros:
- The annual fee is far less than other premium travel cards.
- Benefits include airport lounge access to Priority Pass, Plaza Premium and Capital One Lounges.
- Application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (up to $100).
Cons:
- Rewards geared towards travelers with less to offer for everyday spending.
- Annual travel credit only good on travel bookings made through Capital One Travel.
- While it has a lower annual fee than others in its class, it’s still $395 a year.
Card details:
- Annual fee: $395.
- Rewards: 2 miles per $1 on purchases, 5 miles per $1 on flights booked through Capital One Travel and on purchases through Capital One Entertainment and 10 miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel.
- Welcome bonus: 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- APR: 19.99% to 29.99% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers.
Why it’s the best
The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, rates & fees) has one of the highest annual fees around, but it also offers a very long list of benefits. These include access to popular airport lounges and various monthly and annual statement credits. If you’re up for tracking and using all the perks, you can definitely get your money’s worth.
Pros:
- Offers the most widespread lounge access of any card.
- Over $1,500 in potential statement credits (enrollment required for select benefits).
- Complimentary elite status with Hilton Honors, Marriott, Avis, Hertz and National (enrollment required).
Cons:
- One of the highest annual fees on any consumer card.
- Outside of travel spending, the earning rates are below-average.
- Included car rental coverage is only secondary¹.
Card details:
- Annual fee: $695.
- Rewards: 5 Membership Rewards® points per $1 for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year, 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.
- Welcome bonus: 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership.
- APR: See Pay Over Time APR.
Why it’s the best
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles you’ll find on premium travel cards, but it also doesn’t have the same price tag. Instead, it’s an all-around basic travel card that you can use to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points — a fairly flexible rewards program. Plus, you’ll get 25% more value for points when you use them to book travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal.
Pros:
- Rewards can be transferred to Chase’s travel loyalty partners.
- Points can be redeemed for 25% more when booking travel via Chase Travel.
- Get up to $50 in statement credits annually for hotel stays booked using the portal.
Cons:
- No elite travel perks such as lounge access or hotel or rental car status.
- Best earning rates are on travel booked through Chase, which can be limiting.
- The $50 hotel credit is only valid when you book through Chase.
Card details:
- Annual fee: $95.
- Rewards: 5 points per $1 on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per $1 on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
- Welcome bonus: 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- APR: 21.49% to 28.49% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers.
The information for the Chase Freedom Flex® has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Why this card made the list
Having excellent credit doesn’t necessarily mean you want to shell out a high annual fee, and with the Chase Freedom Flex® * The information for the Chase Freedom Flex® has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. you won’t have to. The tiered rewards rates and rotating bonus categories make it a worthwhile contender in terms of rewards. And you’ll receive many of the protections and insurances that are more common with premium cards, such as car rental and trip cancellation/interruption protection and cellphone protection.
- Annual fee: $0.
- Rewards: 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in categories that rotate quarterly (requires activation), 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on dining and drugstores and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- Welcome bonus: $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- APR: 0% intro APR for the first 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49% to 29.24%. There is an intro balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of each transfer, whichever is greater, in the first 60 days. Then the fee is the greater of $5 or 5% of each transfer.
The information for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Why this card made the list
Although this card is best for IHG enthusiasts, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card * The information for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. could be a good fit for travelers interested in all the hotel chain has to offer. Cardholders receive automatic Platinum Elite Status, which provides benefits such as discounted reward nights, complimentary upgrades, early check-ins and late check-outs (subject to availability).
Every IHG hotel stay of at least four consecutive nights will come with the fourth night free when you pay with points. Plus, each year you’ll receive a free anniversary night voucher worth up to 40,000 points. And as for perks beyond accommodation, you’ll get an application fee credit for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS and up to $50 in United® TravelBank Cash every calendar year.
- Annual fee: $99.
- Rewards: 10 points per $1 at IHG Hotels and Resorts, another 10 points per $1 as an IHG One Rewards member, 6 points per $1 from IHG with Platinum Elite Status (a benefit of this card), 5 points per $1 on travel, dining and gas stations and 3 points per $1 on all other purchases.
- Welcome bonus: 140,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- APR: 21.49% to 28.49% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies.
Why it’s the best
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with generous benefits that can make the annual fee a worthwhile investment, including up to a $300 annual travel credit, complimentary Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership (enrollment required) and a comprehensive list of travel protections. In addition to earning points in one of the most valuable rewards currencies, the card gives you 50% more value for those points when you use them to book travel through the Chase Travel portal.
Pros:
- Flexible, high-value redemptions, including transfering points to over a dozen travel partners.
- A 50% points boost when you book travel through Chase.
- Annual travel credit has a broad definition, including tolls, campgrounds and parking.
Cons:
- Rewards rates outside of travel and dining aren’t great.
- High annual fee.
- Best rewards on travel are for bookings through Chase.
Card details:
- Annual fee: $550.
- Rewards: 5 points per $1 on flights and 10 points per $1 on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Travel℠ after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3 points per $1 on other travel and dining and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.
- Welcome bonus: 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- APR: 22.49% to 29.49% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies.
Methodology
Our credit cards team has spent hours analyzing hundreds of credit cards. We took a deep dive into the details of each product and that analysis, combined with our years of experience covering credit cards, informed us as we developed these credit card rankings. Factors we considered included:
- Annual earnings: 40%.
- Annual fee: 12%.
- Introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers: 10%.
- Welcome bonus: 10%.
- Ongoing APR: 6%.
- Foreign exchange fee: 5%.
- Airport lounge access: 5%.
- Cellphone insurance: 5%.
- Primary insurance: 1%.
- Secondary insurance: 1%.
- Baggage delay coverage: 1%.
- Lost luggage coverage: 1%.
- Trip delay coverage: 1%.
- Trip cancellation coverage: 1%.
- Trusted traveler credits: 1%.
How to choose a credit card for excellent credit
Many factors can affect your eligibility for a new credit card, including your income and the card issuer’s rules. But one of the benefits of having excellent credit is that you can likely qualify for most cards.
As you compare the options, consider each card’s main features and fees:
- Annual fee: High annual fees often correspond with more and better cardholder benefits. But there are also great card options without annual fees if you don’t see yourself using many of the perks.
- Rewards rates: If you plan on using the card for everyday purchases, try to pick one that offers bonus rewards in categories where you tend to spend a lot of money, such as dining or travel.
- Statement credits: Many cards offer statement credits that can save you money, but only if you were going to make the purchases anyway.
- Other cardholder benefits: Look for benefits you can easily use and get great value from, such as purchase protections, travel insurance, hotel vouchers and airport lounge access.
Is a credit card for excellent credit right for me?
Credit cards that require an excellent credit score tend to offer premium rewards and benefits, but they also often come with high annual fees and interest rates.
If you tend to pay your credit card balance in full every month and don’t mind an annual fee, a premium card could help you save money and travel in luxury. However, if you’re paying off credit card debt or tend to overspend on credit cards, a card offering a lower interest rate or an introductory APR on balance transfers might be best. In either case, your excellent credit could help you qualify for the best options.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Depending on the type of credit score, an excellent credit score might be a score that’s above 780 or 800. In many cases, once your score is in the high 700s, you can often qualify for the best credit cards or most favorable loan terms.
There’s no specific timeline for achieving an excellent credit score. If you’ve never missed a bill payment and you’re new to credit, you might simply need to continue making your payments on time and let your accounts age to improve your score. However, if you’ve missed payments or had accounts sent to collections, you might need to wait for those negative marks to fall off your credit reports before your credit score improves.
Going from a good or very good credit score to an excellent credit score might mean moving from the 700s to 800s for FICO Scores or rising above 780 with a VantageScore credit score. You can qualify for many credit cards and favorable loan offers with a good score, but an excellent score might help you get the best terms.
If you don’t have any negative marks in your credit history, you might need to focus on your credit mix and the age of your accounts to improve your scores. You could also have a high credit utilization ratio if you’re using a large percentage of your credit card’s available credit, even if you pay your bill in full. Paying down credit card balances or making early payments to lower your utilization ratio can help increase your scores.
One of the most prestigious credit cards is the American Express Centurion Black Card * The information for the American Express Centurion Black Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. (terms apply). You can request an invitation to apply, but Amex doesn’t reveal the qualification requirements. And if you are invited, be prepared to spend thousands of dollars on an initiation fee and annual fees.
All information about American Express Centurion Black Card has been collected independently by Blueprint.
For rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.
¹Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
*The information for the American Express Centurion Black Card, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, Chase Freedom Flex® and IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
